Thursday, October 30, 2008

A bitch has been working the front lines of this election battle in Missouri and this battleground shit is fierce! I keep telling myself that there will be time enough for sleep after November 4th.

Sigh.

Anyhoo, I couldn’t fall asleep last night and this bitch found my thoughts wandering to the current line-up of political pundits getting their talk on.

And it hit me that Ann Coulter has been missing in action.

Blink.

The last time a bitch saw the Queen of Rancidity on television she was vowing to vote for anyone but McCain.

Where for art thou Ann?

Don’t get me wrong…this Coulterless election season has been refreshing as a motherfucker. And its not as if others haven’t picked up the nastification slack in her absence.

I know that she’s still churning out outrageous shit somewhere, but a bitch hasn’t been assaulted by her presence on morning television for months. Mayhap the faithful aren’t buying her brand of chili the way they used to.

Pause…consider…continue.

Could it be that a new version of the Republican ‘fear the other and resist reality’ brand is being developed during this election cycle?

I was so sure Coulter would emerge when the Edwards sex scandal broke since she adores hating on all things Edwards…but, if she held a party a bitch sure as shit didn’t see anything about it.

‘Tis a mystery, for sure.

And a bitch wonders if the absence of Coulter, even as the presidential campaign dissolves into the kind of fear-based revival of the Red Scare that she’d usually be all over like a fly on shit, signals the emergence of a changing of the guard in the social conservative ig’nant rhetoric club.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A bitch has noticed that a certain Senator McCain in making the argument that all hell will break lose if Democrats control Congress and the Executive Branch. He hopes to score votes by whipping up fear of single party rule. Interesting decision…particularly when the most recent example of a majority gone wrong hails from the Republicans.

But we don’t vote for parties.

We vote for candidates.

‘Tis true that we often cast our vote for one candidate because we are against another candidate...but outside of each base people spread their vote around.

In every state of the union people are being overwhelmed with pitches from individuals who sorta agree with the policy positions of one party or another. Here in Missouri we’ve got candidates running statewide who never even mention their party affiliation. A bitch suspects that has something to do with the general state level disgust for all things republican and the fact that we no longer have the option of voting a straight ticket.

Political commercials follow a basic formula – I’m for this, that and the other but I get mavericky over that, this and this other shit so you can trust me even though you don’t trust the political party that shall not be mentioned.

Pause…consider…continue.

It appears to me that McCain’s tactic-esque strategy of getting the fear of handing Dems the keys to the store and the alarm code too vote is headed for a collision with the ballot. His hopes may reside in the fact that 'president' is still the first decision voters make…but he runs the risk of reminding undecided voters that some of their indecision results from the trauma leveled by the last party that held all the keys and raided the fuck out of the pantry.

This bitch woke up at the crack of dawn...wince...and caught the news item about the woman in Pittsburgh who claimed that she, a campaign worker for McCain, had been mugged at knife point and assaulted by the carving of a “B” into her cheek because her alleged assailant (a black man, natch) was offended by the McCain sticker on her car.

Blink.

I’ve been getting my campaign on all day and missed the news…so I just checked in on this story and discovered that the woman has now admitted to making the story up.

Blink once again.

This bitch was skeptical from jump.

Didn’t the backward “B” give anyone pause?

Mercy.

But a bitch wishes the woman speedy recovery from all that ails her…

…and I hope this isn’t a sign of the drama to come as the campaign enters its final stage.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

A bitch watched my beloved Blues come up short against those Red Wings last night.

Sob.

We’ve got to do something about that first period…big time!

And inviting a certain Gov. Palin to get her campaign on at Friday’s game…well, that’s just not right. Shit, this hockey mom (sorta-beagles count, right?) hasn’t done a damn thing to deserve having that woman on our home ice! The only positive is that she’s likely to drop another couple grand at Saks while she’s here...you know, to stimulate the local economy one luxury item at a time.

Blink.

Anyhoo, Missouri is in play and both presidential candidates are trying to show the Show-Me state why we should vote for them.

A certain Senator McCain has decided to do that with an "I am Joe the Plumber" ad that is so obviously ripped off from those "I am a P.C." ads that this bitch thinks someone should sue.

And doesn't that make McCain-Palin the political version of Windows Vista?

Mercy.

Well, a bitch isn’t Joe the Plumber.

But I am a Missourian…who would like to speak directly to my fellow Missourians about this shit.

Ahem.

Are you Joe the Plumber?

Or are you a worker…who has seen your wages flat line while prices go up?

Has your life thrived under the Bush tax cuts…are you swimming in prosperity…do you feel that those tax cuts have created jobs, stimulated the economy, solidified our status as an economic player, lowered costs and encouraged investment in Missouri?

Or are you struggling…making far less than $250,000 and surrounded by others in that same boat?

Well, its time for some Show-Me logic!

Don’t fall for this tired as shit.

This ain’t Czarist Russia, we aren’t serfs (thank Gawd for comment-based editors!..wink) and…despite what Gov. Palin thinks…the wealthy don’t rule by the will of Gawd.

This is Missouri, where we the people haven’t seen anything trickle down but stagnation and want.

McCain and his ads aren’t warning you about the dangers of spreading the wealth, people.

They’re desperately fighting against the possibility of having to fairly distribute the burden…

And a bitch can only speculate that Palin is either winging it and got it wrong (someone needs to show her how to Google that shit, for the love of basic civics!)…or she’s eager to take on a job that does not exist for damn good reasons (can you imagine Cheney running the Senate?)…or she plans to launch a campaign to amend the Constitution to expand the powers of the Vice President.

On October 20, 2008, eight influential lesbian bloggers launched 8 Against 8, an eight-day collaborative online fundraising drive to defeat Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that seeks toeliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the State of California.

Just last week, Equality California had released a bulletin that it was $10 million behind the opposition in fundraising. However, despite closing the gap this past week, there is still a ways to go. Furthermore, many current polls predict that Proposition 8 would pass if the election were held today. "There has never been a more important time for the queer community. This election will change our world for the better or put us back in the Dark Ages. It's not only critical we win for California, but for the rest of the country," said Sacramento resident Lori Hahn, owner of the popular lesbian family blog, www.hahnathome.com.

The bloggers have also sweetened the deal for any business entities that wish to get involved. “All companies and businesses that donate $100 dollars or more will get a free one week ad onwww.thelesbianlifestyle.com and www.gracethespot.com,” said Kelly Leszczynski of www.thelesbianlifestyle.com. Chu also mentioned that other promotions may come up during the course of the campaign.

100% of the proceeds donated through the 8 Against 8 donation page at www.8against8.com go directly to Equality California’s No on 8 Campaign.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

C-Money and this bitch caught the Blues hockey game on the telly Saturday night.

Blink.

What?

They were playing those Chicago Blackhawks at home...that’s a rivalry deserved of respect and live television viewage!Anyhoo, the Blackhawks scored first…and by the third period a bitch was fretting that I’d have to endure some serious trash talk from Chicago fans.

But then it happened…the Blues made a third period comeback to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Gasp.

And after a scoreless overtime we went into that shoot-out-to-decide-it-all business that is beyond bad for a bitch’s blood pressure.

Mercy!

Thank Gawd the fantabulous T.J. Oshie (the fresh faced rookie down from North Dakota that C-Money just adores and wants to feed soul food to) took that moment to score his first NHL goal and win the game!

Blues…4

Hawks…3

Dawg biscuits for sorta-beagles and Sweetie the three legged chow…3

Vodka crans…don’t even ask.

Shit, if we weren’t in an economic depression the Bitch Squad would buy season tickets.

Fedele is responsible for sending this to her fellow members with a caption that read "Obama talks about all those presidents that got their names on bills. If elected, what bill would he be on? Food stamps, what else!".And for issuing subsequent denials that the image is in any way based on racial stereotypes.

Blink.

At first this bitch wondered why people who clearly were getting their Birth of a Nation on are now trying to pitch some lame ass bullshit about not seeing the image as racist.

But then it dawned on me that Fedele and her family may actually believe that an Obama presidency will usher in just such a food stamp…and a cabinet of black folk who will dine on watermelon that they’ll surely wash down with grape Kool-Aid while dancing a jig in the Oval Office.

Lawd, give me strength.

Anyhoo, a certain Ron from Montana (my favorite conservative email-based debate foe for over three years) sent a link to an article about this food stamp mess stating that he’d already decided to vote for Obama but that this racist mess made him leave the Republican party altogether.

I’ve been arguing with the man for years…years, I tell you! But it took Diane Fedele’s public display of bigotry and news of those robo-calls from hell and a series of scary angry mob-based Palin rallies to make Ron from Montana go Independent.

Friday, October 17, 2008

The fact that the Palin family has a child with special needs (her son has Down syndrome) has sorta-sparked a national discussion on the needs of children with special needs.

Longtime readers know that my older brother is autistic…’cause, Gawd willing, special needs children grow up to be adults with special needs…and I’ve written about the ups and downs of co-guardianship and dealing with the system.

Supporters of Gov. Palin like to use her choice to knowingly have a child with Down syndrome as some sort of example of how it can be done. I’m the youngest in my family and I’ve never known a day without autism…the Palin family is just getting started, trust a bitch.

Special needs are needs, for the love of all that is logical. My brother is 38 years old and my parents struggled to pay for private school, therapy, special camps and treatments followed by assessments followed by treatments followed by meds that weren't covered by insurance and so forth and so on. Now that he is grown he is vulnerable to funding cuts that have taken away dental coverage and supported employment programs.

The fat was trimmed long ago...but The Man hasn't put the scalpel down.

When a family has a loved one with special needs everything changes. Personal time…vacations…daily rituals...everything changes and a lot of shit is taken off the table. I recently wrote about the lack of funding and support for programs that benefit people with special needs at RHRealityCheck because we need more than rhetoric…we need leadership, programs and the motherfucking funding to put them to work.

There are some great programs out there…at the state level and at the federal level…that would really help out, but too many have been underfunded or eliminated. Families need respite, financial assistance for therapy and special education…we need government to value our families too.

And now, with the economic crisis sure to impact what the next President will be able to do, we need our needs to be a priority...on the must-do list and off the cut first list.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

First, thank you all for the encouragement and advice commented to yesterday’s post!

I really appreciate y’all…BIG TIME!

Shall we?

Last night Joe the Plumber got his fifteen minutes and then some during the last (thank Gawd!!) presidential debate before the election. Joe the Plumber…who may also be a Joe six-pack…was the dude who challenged Obama during a campaign event on his tax proposal saying that he’s about to buy a bitness making some $250,000 and feels Obama’s plan will tax him more.

Obama answered Joe the Plumber then…and again last night. McCain basically dedicated his debate appearance to the man.

Shit, Joe the Plumber was spoken to some 24 times during the debate between the two candidates!

Blink.

Must be nice.

Well, I’m Shark-Fu the AngryBlackBitch and I’d like to point something out to Joe the Plumber.

Cough.

Joe?

Hi!

Congrats on the new bitness.

A bitch is one of the masses that would be a potential customer for you if you were a Missouri-based plumber. We have bathrooms and sinks and toilets and such…and when shit breaks we usually turn to a plumber. But the economic crisis may impact that…and have the Family Bitch turning to Lowes and a self-help book first.

Shudder.

Not that you seem to give a damn about the rest of us working people who would LOVE to be able to afford a plumber much less buy a plumbing bitness in the middle of a fucking recession.

Shit.

Fuck it.

A bitch suspects that plumbing, like beer, is recession proof.

Pause...consider...continue.

Yeah, because this bitch would rather suffer through another debate than the horrors of do-it-yourself plumbing...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Relax.I need some information first.Just the basic facts:Can you show me where it hurts?

A bitch is longing to feel Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb right now.

Ugh.

I’ve tried to put it to the back of my mind and I’ve tried to write about something else but I keep ending up unable to do anything but keep it real.

Longtime readers know that this bitch does a lot of volunteer work with young women.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that I can’t fix every wrong and I can’t live any life but my own.

Sigh.

A fifteen year old woman I know is pregnant.

She’s not the first young woman I’ve volunteered with to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

But I am feeling a sense of failure…and I know that this isn’t about me and that my personalizing it doesn’t accomplish shit.

There is no pain, you are receding.

Yet the feeling that I should have done more…taken more time…built up more trust…been there more…that feeling has settled over me and taken root.

A distant ships smoke on the horizon.

And I can’t help feeling angry that she doesn’t have choices…her mother is anti-choice and this young woman is now a mother-to-be whether she wants to be or not.

You are only coming through in waves.

I can’t help but fret over her future, because I know that the same people who do not support reproductive choice will not support her in the life she will have to build absent choice.

Your lips move but I cant hear what you’re saying.

…and that she will have to balance school, work, working the system and parenting in a society that views that struggle as the wages of sin.

When I was a child I had a fever.

The reality is harsh...this economy will not smile upon poor teen mothers...and this young woman will not enjoy a Palin-esque outcome.

My hands felt just like two balloons.

And I wish.

Damn it.

I wish I could have done more.

Now I got that feeling once again.I can't explain, you would not understand.This is not how I am.

The lack of options and the daunting challenge that is before her are running in a loop through my mind.

I have become comfortably numb.

Numb?

And then that numbness is gone...not numb, not blind to reality...not ignorant of the role money and education and resources will play...not able to ignore the poverty she already lives in that thrives as a result of our apathy and cruel disregard.

Poverty...the only war America doesn't want to fight.

And oh, the burden of an enlightened mind.

Ok.Just a little pinprick. [ping]Therell be no more --aaaaaahhhhh!But you may feel a little sick.

Shit.

This isn’t about me but the tragedy is that this isn’t even about her.

Can you stand up? I do believe its working. good. That'll keep you going for the show. Come on its time to go.

No, this won’t be about her until she gives birth.

Then it will be all about her.

She who is seen as unfit to make decisions because she is fifteen will be charged with making all the decisions in nine short months.

There is no pain, you are receding.

And I wish I could be comfortably numb.

A distant ships smoke on the horizon.You are only coming through in waves.Your lips move but I cant hear what you're saying.

Pause...gather self...continue.

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,Out of the corner of my eye.

Time to listen while everyone else talks...to comfort and assist when asked to.

I turned to look but it was gone.I cannot put my finger on it now.The child is grown, the dream is gone.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

The fantabulous Liss of Shakesville fame sent this bitch an article by Patricia J. Williams titled The Politics of Michelle Obama’s Hair. The piece is an exploration of Michelle Obama’s presence…her personality, appearance and oh yes, her hair. Williams clearly is inspired by the complete Michelle Obama package, but there’s something about the way she explores the hair thang that gave me pause.

Shall we?

Full disclosure – a bitch rocks a natural Afro and has for several years.

Cough.

I was raised to believe that wearing natural hairstyles (meaning not straightening my hair) wasn’t the route to regular employment, acceptance or happiness. More importantly, I was taught that black women were charged with the task of putting others at ease through both our appearance and our temperament…and that was the clear route to regular employment, acceptance and happiness. So when I chopped off my chemically straightened hair and began to grow my Afro I was honestly concerned that it would have negative ramifications. Williams describes it as “political hair” but she seems to be searching for empowerment within an acceptably black definition by contrasting the appeal of Michelle Obama to the way Cynthia McKinney was treated by Capitol security allegedly because she began to wear a natural.

The thing is that has more to do with the very society Williams acknowledges is neither post-racial nor post-feminist.

When Williams tells of how sad she felt when wearing a Condi Rice Halloween mask versus how up beat she felt when wearing a Michelle Obama mask…well, she lost me.

If I’ve learned anything it is that true empowerment comes from being comfortable and loving the hell out of your own ass.

The thing that I like about Michelle Obama is that she exudes that empowerment. She’s cool with herself – no mask required (wink).

But Ms. McKinney is also cool with her self…and just because some members of the Capitol police aren’t cool with that shit doesn’t mean she is any less empowering as a result. Let’s be clear…members of the press politicized the role of her hair – her hair was just being hair.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

A certain Anonymous asked what this bitch’s thoughts are on the race to replace Gov. Blunt (bless his rancid heart) here in Missouri.

You asked for it!

Rep. Kenny Hulshof is the Republican candidate…though you’d be hard pressed to find any reference to the political party that shall not be named for fear of negative vote-based repercussions in his television commercials. The Hulshof campaign is a great example of the way Republicans are running in Missouri this year. His ads and literature have his name, his policy positions and so forth…but he and his fellow GOPers are running fast as a motherfucker away from all things Republican, Bushed or Blunted.

The thing is Hulshof has a record and it stinks the stank of a social conservative in moderate clothing. His votes against reproductive justice alone make him an unacceptable candidate…and no clever advertising tag line is going to hide that shit.

On the other side we have Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Sigh.

Nixon may not be the darling of the progressive set…but.

Yeah…but.

Missouri continues to writhe under the relentless abuse of Republican control and I, for one, shudder at the thought of four more years of anti-knowledge, anti-family, anti-women and anti-common sense government.

Sigh again.

We each have to make our own choice, Anonymous…do your research and make sure you are voting from a place of knowledge and not spin.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Despite the excitement of the press, the current mud slinging is only the beginning of the flood we’re about to see.

Over the weekend the polls shifted and a bitch’s home state of Missouri went from leaning Republican to being a Big Ass Battleground state.

Missourians were already knee deep in the slug fest to replace Governor Blunt…which includes dueling television ads that are made up of 60 seconds of “HE LIES, HE LIES, HE LIES…(insert opponent’s name) is the very definition of BULLSHIT!!”

I’m serious, the republican candidate for Governor has a cartoon bull in his ad…for real...and it gets branded at the end (wince).

But now they’ve layered on presidential ads because Obama and McCain are dead even here. In St. Louis McCain is running ads questioning Obama’s readiness, character and honesty. Obama is running ads about healthcare and the economy...lots and lots of ads...tons of ads...an ad for every voter, for the love of media exposure.

Since St. Louis is in the midst of some serious economic drama…and the real battle for Missouri is really in the suburban counties of St. Louis and Kansas City, where people are being forced to redefine the American Dream due to Fubar Economics…this bitch is tempted to question the tactic (or is it the strategy?) of not talking about the issues but my ass honestly hopes that flawed shit continues.

Either way, The Great Media Battle for Missouri is making it damn near impossible to watch television without the aggressive use of TiVo (bless you, oh fantastical invention of the century)!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Mmmhmmm, Joe McCain sorta-joked that Arlington and Alexandria are hot beds of communist activity…lousy with communists…the home base of a bunch of Raymond Shaws (who are the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human beings I've ever known in my life).

Blink.

The McCain camp is getting their McCarthyism on with the good folks of Northern Virginia?

A certain Anonymous left a comment on my V.P debate post that asked for this bitch’s thoughts on the issue of some white voters who are not going to vote for Senator Obama because he’s black.

Blink.

Shall we?

A bitch isn’t one to bet, but my ass is pretty damn sure that Senator Obama is aware that there are some white voters who traditionally vote for democrats who will not be voting for him because he is black.

As a matter of fact, a bitch has noticed that the people who seem most surprised by a lack of support sourced deeply in racial bias are white people who thought America had progressed a hell of a lot further than we actually have.

The success of the Obama campaign has surprised me but it has not convinced me that Americans are beyond making decisions based on race, class and gender or that some among us are prepared to cast votes that go against their personal best interest simply because the logic resistant infection of bigotry courses through their veins.

Sad?

Yes.

Surprising?

Not one bit.

The thing to do is to keep it real, Anonymous.

Be authentic and a wee bit audacious (wink) and continue to explain why you are voting for the people you are voting for. You may not change minds but, then again, you may.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Last night Senator Biden and Governor Palin participated in the sole vice presidential debate of the 2008 election in my home city of St. Louis Missouri. I watched most of the 90-minute debate and the post debate analysis and…well, it made my Afro hurt.

Hell, my Afro still hurts.

Let’s rewind a bit to examine the pre-debate attempt by conservative bloggers to cast doubt on the integrity of moderator Gwen Ifill. Ifill is writing a book about American politics in the “age of Obama” and she has been upfront and open about that. But conservative bloggers decided to question her impartiality because the book deals with Obama’s political career among other politicians of color.

I see that unfounded questioning as a continuation of the grand insult dealt black women by political analysts throughout this election. Time after time, pundits have voiced their assumption that black women will vote for Senator Obama simply because he is black. They have perpetuated the myth that all black people value racial pride over political legitimacy, that we are easily dazzled by the success of other black people and that we will fail to weigh the issues and policy positions of a black candidate simply because we want to see a black man elected president. Thus, they dismiss the fact that black voters were pro-Clinton even after Obama entered the race, that many black voters questioned and analyzed Obama’s campaign just as they did the campaigns of the other candidates and that Senator Obama has had to earn the black vote just like President Clinton did in the 1990s.

So it came as no surprise that Ifill’s journalistic integrity would be questioned in the same way the integrity of black voters has been from the primaries on. But it was and is a sad commentary on how the bigoted assumptions of some define the political temperament of black America.

With that drama weighing on my mind, I sat down and watched the vice presidential debate. I can only speak for myself, but the pain in my Afro grew as I witnessed Gov. Palin deliver a performance drenched in folksy phrases and overly simplified pseudo-patriotic statements designed to seduce white voters in Middle America. I hoped that she would hold her own because I know that many will judge all women in politics based on Palin's ability to perform under pressure. I also hoped that she would prove herself worthy of the office she seeks and that she would then be judged on the policy positions presented rather than on the fall-out of another intellectual meltdown on national television.

What I saw instead was 90 minutes of those folksified “you betchas” layered on top of gross generalizations of what middle class America desires from their government. As the candidates gave their closing statements I couldn’t help but wonder what the analysis would be. Suffice it to say, it turned out to be one of the best examples of privilege that I have ever witnessed.

Headlines on news sites announce that Palin has gotten back on track and that she defied expectations. Conservative analysts applauded her for being herself and speaking like and to average Americans.

And I’m left trying to imagine the response if Gwen Ifill had moderated the debate using the same folksy phrases Gov. Palin tossed out like Mardi Gras beads during a parade.

I can just imagine the response if Senator Obama dodged questions with a wink followed by something along the lines of “You betcha, hockey moms and Joe six-pack want affordable healthcare and fiscal responsibility too!”

I'd put money I don't have down that the response wouldn’t be praise.

And I’m damned certain Ifill or Obama wouldn’t wake up this morning and read that they held their own and got the job done after tossing out that much verbal bullshit the night before.

But obviously Gov. Palin is being measured by a very generous stick.

I’ll betcha Gwen Ifill won’t uncover that kind of privilege in her book.

Gwen Ifill’s reputation is beyond solid and she has been very upfront about the content of the book.

Shit.

If anything, the GOP should be thrilled that Ms. Ifill is moderating instead of some anchor desperate for ratings who is really seeking a gotcha moment that’ll land her ass on You Tube and their candidate in a approval ratings death spiral.

Blink.

On another note entirely, a bitch sends healing wishes to Ms. Ifill…rumor has it she hurt her foot earlier in the week.

Wince.

Onward to debate preparedness!

ABB’s List of Vice Presidential Debate Required Things…MunchablesI’m thinking a plate of smothered yumminess from Sweetie Pie’s is called for. Mmmhmm, with some mashed taters and mac & cheese and corn bread too!

Pause…drool…continue.

BeveragesVodka followed by grape cran with lots of iceWater…’cause tonight is a school night, chil’ren!Ginger Ale…because odds are Gov. Palin is going to say something that’s sure to made a bitch’s stomach churn.

Things kick off at 6pm and don’t forget to bring some dinner-based yumminess with you.

Anyhoo, the much anticipated Vice Presidential Debate is taking place here in St. Louis and this bitch needs to get my pre-debate preparedness on.

Blink.

Oh, c’mon…the pre-debate frenzy of speculation is usually better than the actual debate! I just adore watching political commentators freak the fuck out over ever shifting poll numbers and which wanna-be Veep is more likely to fuck up. And with Gov. Palin’s recent verbal malfunctions feeding the fire, this bitch anticipates some serious pre-debate bullshit to go down today through tomorrow.

The best part of having a high profile debate hosted in my home town is knowing that all the media folks a bitch watches on a regular basis are in town.

Pause…ponder whether the fantabulous Gwen Ifill would join a bitch for soul food yumminess and political speculation at Sweetie Pie’s…continue.

Anyhoo…this shit calls for some serious preparedness.

I’m thinking smothered soul-food yumminess, vodka followed by cran and a well rested TiVo…